Phony Equifax Scam Reported in Wyoming

A new phone scam features callers pretending to be with the Equifax Credit Bureau who claim they are verifying personal information as a followup to the Equifax security breach earlier this year.

According to a pair of Cheyenne credit union officials, the scam is simply another way of obtaining sensitive personal information, such as bank account, credit card, and Social Security numbers.

But First Education Federal Credit Union President Jim Yates and Vice-President Ann Lucas say Equifax doesn't call people up and ask for such information over the phone. They also say Equifax already has that information on file, and the security breach earlier this year doesn't change that.

Lucas says a good rule of thumb is that if someone calls you and asks for personal financial information over the phone, hang up. She says that in many cases scammers may even have fake phone numbers which show up on caller ID as being associated with legitimate organizations.

Lucas also says some of the more polished con artists can be very convincing, adding the best rule for such calls is ''trust no one."

The Equifax breach may have exposed the personal information of as many as 143 million Americans, according to the Federal Trade Commission